Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



No. 790,245. I PATENTED MAY 16,1905.

- j H.. H, AKERS.

" MAIL BAG GATOHBR AND DBLIVERER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16,1905.

2 SHEETS-85 BET 1.

I by I" 4c Attorneys Patented May 16, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE...

HENRY H. AKERS, 0F oHEaRYvALE, KANSAS.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND lDELlVERER.

SPECIFICATION: forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,245, dated May 16, 1905.

Application filed February 16, 1905. Serial No. 245,935. I

To aZZ whom it TVI/O/Z/ concern:

handling thereof is materially simplified and danger to the attendants is reduced to the minimum.

Another object of the invention is to enable the convenient hanging of the mail-bags upon the stationary device and to insure the effective removal thereof by the car device without any possibility of the bag hanging upon the stationary device and being displaced from the car device or injured during the transfer of. the bag to the passing train.

A still further object of the invention is to secure a positive gripping of the bag by the car device, so as to prevent looseness and swinging of the bag during its transfer to the car and to enable the convenient releasing of the bag when the car device has been drawn into the car.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View showing the car and stationary devices of the present invention in position for the transfer of a bag to a car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view taken horizontally through the car device with the bag-holder open. Fig. 3 isasimilar fragmentary view showing the bag-holder closed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The stationary bag-supporting device of the present invention is supported upon a suitable frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. of the drawings, which frame includes an extended cross-tie 1 of the railway-track 2, there being a sill 3 projected at opposite sides of the end of the tie, with a post 4 rising from the middle of the sill and braced by inclined struts 5, extending from the ends of the sill upwardly to a suitable point upon the post. A substantially horizontal arm or beam 6 rests upon the top of the post, with its greater portion extended toward the track and braced by a bracket 7, which depends from the'beam and is connected to the post. Suitable stay rods or wires 8 extend from the lower portion of the bracket 7 downwardly in oppositedirections, with the lower end of each stay connected to one of the ties of therailway-track, as indicated at 9. Other braces 10 extend between the ends of the sill 3 and certain of the ties of the railway-track, and still other braces 11 extend from the ends of the sill to the extended tie 1. From the tie 1 to the post t there is an upwardly-inclined brace, and another brace 13 extends downwardly from the rear end of the arm or beam 6 to the middle of the sill 3.

At what will be termed the forward end of the arm 6 there is abag-holder, consisting of a substantially horizontal cross-head 14c, suitably secured across the end of the arm and braced by an inclined brace15, extending between the back of the head and the arm.

This head projects from the arm 6 in the div rection of the movement of the frame and is provided with av horizontal bifurcation 16, which produces a lower' bag-holding bar 17 The mail-bag, which has been indicated at 18 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is of the common or approved form and is provided at one end with upstanding hooks 19, which are engaged over the bar 17, so as to hang the bag therefrom and are capable of sliding upon the bar and off at the outer free end thereof under the influence of the car device.

As illustrated in detail in Figs. 2 to 5, in-

elusive, the car device includes a substantially horizontal arm 20, which is hollow or substantially tubular, as best indicated in Fig. 5, and provided at opposite sides with longitudinal laterally-directed extensions 21, constituting internal channels or guideways. The rear or butt end of this arm is hinged to the rear side of the door-frame 22 of the car 23 in a manner to permit of the arm being swung from its projected position in Fig. 1 inwardly into the car and back against the inner side thereof. A convenient form of hinge consists of upper and lower stationary hinge brackets or members 24, secured to the inner side of the car and embracing the butt end of the arm 20, there being a hinge-pintle 25 piercing the hinge members and the arm. At the outer end of the arm 20 there is a cross-head 26, which is provided witlia longitudinal bifurcation 27, and in this bifurcation is a laterally-movable jaw 28, capable of being moved toward and away from the outer side of the head or stationary jaw. The forward ends of the fixed and stationary jaws are flared, as at 29, to facilitate the reception of a mail-bag therebetween, as will be hereinafter explained. A pair of spaced stem members 30 extend laterally from the movable jaw 28 and work in the channels or guideways 21 of the arm 20, so as to guide the movable jaw in its movement toward and away fromthe fixed jaw. Within the arm 20 and between the stem members 30 there is ahelical spring 31, which is anchored at its outer end, as at 32, to the arm- 20 and has its rear end connected to a cross-bar 33, which in turn connects the stem members30. This spring 31' normally projects the movable jaw 28 into engagement with the fixed jaw, and to retract the movable jaw there is an upstanding lever 34fulerumed at its lower end, as at 35, to the bottom of the arm 20 and engaged with the cross-bar 33, connecting the stem members 30 by means of a, link 36. By moving the lever in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 4 the movable jaw will be retracted, as in Fig. 2. For the purpose of holding the movable jaw open or spaced from the fixed jaw there is a link 37, which is terminally pivoted, as at 38, to the inner side of the stationary jaw, adjacent the rearend thereof, and capable of being turned transversely between the jaws, so as to have its other end bear against the movable jaw and force the same away from the stationary jaw. A connecting-rod 39 is pivotedto the free end of the link 37, as at 40, and works through an opening 41 in the back of the stationary jaw 26, there being a laterally-directed. trip member 42 extending at the outer side of thestationary jaw.

In using the present apparatus, the cardevice being within the car, the lever 34 is manipulated to withdraw the movable jaw 28 from the fixed jaw 26 and the rod 39 is pushed inwardly to bring the link 37 transversely between the two jaws, so as to hold the movable jaw open. The arm 20 is then swung outwardly into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, with the free ends of the leaf-spring 43 hearing against the adjacent side of the door, said spring being carried by the back of the arm 20. \Vhen the car device reaches the stationary device, the former passes beneath the latter and the bag is received between the two jaws, the trip member 42 striking against the stationary trip member 7, whereupon the rod 39 is drawn rearwardly and the link 37 swung back against the stationary jaw, thereby permitting the spring 31 to force the movable jaw 28 against the bag, and thereby snugly grip the latter between the two jaws, thus insuring the prompt and effective removal of the bag from the stationary device to the car device. \Vhen the car device strikes the bag, the former will of course be thrown rearwardly by the jar, thereby compressing the spring 43, which will operate to swing the car device inwardly through the car-door, when the bag slides oil' the stationary bag-holder and the spring is relieved of the pressure thereon.

It will here be explained that the top of the arm 20 is provided with a longitudinal slot 44, through which the lever 34 projects in position for access thereto.

To prevent displacement of the bag from the stationary bag-holder by the current of air generated by the train before the car device engages the bag, there is an upwardlyinclined spring-guard finger 45, carried by the top of the arm 17 and in rear of which the hooks 19 are disposed when the bag is hung upon the arm, said guard-linger operating to prevent the hooks 19 from being accidentally slid off of the outer free end of the arm without offering any material resistance to the removal of the bag by the car device.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that, with the exception of the spring 45, all of the parts of the stationary device are fixed, and therefore there are no parts to become jammed or choked in the transfer of the bag to the car. Moreover, the car device positively grips the bag intermediate of its ends, and there can be no looseness or swinging of the bag during the transferring operation, and therefore dropping of the bag beneath the train is effectually precluded.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a mail catching and delivering apparatus, a swinging car device having a springbuffer for contact with a portion of the car when the car device is swung back by engagement with a bag, said bulfer operating to rebound from the car and swing the ear device into the car.

2. The combination with a mail-car, of a mail-bag-catching car device pivotally supported upon the car to swing inwardly and outwardly through the doorway thereof in a IIO substantially horizontal direction, and a spring-buffer carried by the back of the car device for engagement with the door-frame when the car device is swung back by engagement with a bag, said bufier operating to rebound from the door-frame and swing the car device inwardly through the doorway.

3. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a car device having a fixed jaw and a spring-pressed jaw, means to maintain the jaws open, a trip device connected to said means and located at one side of the jaws, and a stationary support having a bag-holder and means for engaging the trip to release the spring-pressed jaw when the bag is received between the jaws.

4. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination of a stationary bagholder, a car device having a pair of aws, means to clamp the aws together, means to maintain the jaws open and provided with a trip to release the jaws, and a stationary trip in the path of the first-mentioned trip to engage the same and release the jaws when a mail-bag has been received therebetween.

5. In a mail-bag delivering and catching apparatus, a car device comprising an arm having aguideway, a stationary jaw carried transversely by the arm, a movable jaw also carried by the arm, a stem carried by the jaw and working in the guideway, a spring connected to the stem to clamp the movable jaw against the fixed jaw, means to hold the jaws open, and a trip .to release said means.

6. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a catching device comprising a hollow arm having opposite internal longitudinal guideways, a fixed jaw carried transversely across one end of the arm, a movable jaw having a pair of spaced stems working in the guideway, a helical spring housed within the arm between the stems with one end anchored to the arm, the other end of the spring being connected to the stems to force the movable jaw against the fixed jaw, means to hold the jaws open, and a trip to release said means.

7 In a-mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a catching device having a pair of spring-pressed jaws, a link located between the jaws and pivoted to one of the jaws and capable of being turned transversely therebetween to hold the jaws open, and a trip connected to the link.

8. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a catching device having a pair of spring-pressed jaws, a link located between the jaws and pivoted to one of them to be turned transversely therebetween and hold the jaws open, a rod pivotally connected to the link and projected in rear of the jaws, and

a trip carried by the rod and projected at theouter side of the jaws.

9. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a catching device including a hollow arm having a transverse fixed jaw at its outer end, said fixed jaw being'bifurcated longitu dinally, a movable jaw working transversely within the bifurcation, a stem carried by the movable jaw and working in thehollow arm, a spring mounted in the arm and connected to the. stem to press the movable jaw against the outer member ot' the fixed jaw, a link pivoted to the inner side of the fixed jaw and capable of being turned into engagement with the movable jaw to hold the jaws open, arod pivotally connected to the link and working through an opening in the back of the fixed jaw, and a trip carried by the rear end portion of the rod and projected at the outer side of the fixed jaw.

10. In a mail-bagcatching and delivering apparatus, acatching device including an arm, fixed and spring-pressed jaws carried by the arm, a lever fulcrumed upon the arm and connected to the spring-pressed jaws to open the same, means to hold the spring-pressed jaws open, and a trip for the latter means.

11. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, a catching device comprising a tubular arm, a pivotal support for one end of the arm, a bifurcated fixed jaw carried transversely by the opposite end of the arm, a movable jaw working transversely in the bifurcation, a stem carried by the movable jaw and working in the arm, a spring housed within the arm and connected at one end to the latter and at its opposite end to the stem, a lever fulcrumed within the arm and connected to the stem for moving the movable jaw against'the tension of the spring, the arm being provided with an opening with the lever projected therethrough, a link pivoted to the fixed jaw between the two jaws and capable of being turned into engagement with the movable jaw to hold the same open, a rod pivoted to the link and Working through an opening in the back of the fixed jaw,and a trip carried by the rear end of the rod and projected transversely at the outer side of the fixed jaw.

12. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination of a car device including a pair of spring-actuated bag-gripping jaws, means to hold the jaws open, a trip to release said means, a stationary bag-holder for erection at one side of the railway-track, and a stationary trip in the path of the trip of the car device. I

13. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, the combination with a car device including a pair of spring-actuated bag-gripping jaws, means to hold the jaws open, and a trip to release said means, stationary bagholding means to be erected at one side of the railway-track including a post, a substantially horizontal arm carried by and projected from the post, a bag-holdercarried by thearm, and a supporting-bracket extending from the under side of the arm to' the post'and constitut- &

14:. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, stationary bag-holding means including a support, a bag-holding element carried thereby and provided with a longitudinal bifurcation which is open in the direction of movement of the train, and a guard-spring carried by one side of the bifurcation with its free end inclined toward the other side adjaject the open end of the bifurcation.

15. In a mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, stationary bag-holding means including a support, a substantially horizontal bag-supporting bar carried thereby and provided at one end with a laterallydirecte l shoulder, and a guard-spring carried by the other end of the bar and inclined outwardly therefrom away from the shoulder.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own 1 have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. AKERS.

Witnesses:

J. H. J ooHUM, Jr., J. Ross GOLHOUN. 

